1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a windshield glass support structure which supports a windshield glass of an automobile with respect to a vehicle body.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a structure has been employed in which the rigidity of a cowl portion that supports a lower end of a windshield glass has been reduced in order to protect a pedestrian that has collided with an automobile. One problem with this structure, however, is that a muffled sound is produced from vibration of the windshield glass. A measure to reduce this muffled sound is disclosed in the second embodiment of Japanese Patent Application No. JP-A-2003-327165, for example. The technology described therein provides a stay member in a position in the antinode of secondary mode vibration in the cowl portion, which reinforces part of the cowl portion and suppresses secondary mode vibration of the windshield glass, and thus suppresses the production of muffled sound, while ensuring the ability to absorb impact.
Other related art is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. JP-A-11-11351.
From the standpoint of protecting pedestrians, however, there is a limit as to just how much the rigidity of the cowl portion can be increased by the stay member with the related art. Thus there remains room for further improvement in order to further reduce the vibration of the windshield glass and suppress the muffled sound.